Robin of the Wood
by Bowandarrow8i8
Summary: What will finally spur Robin into action after the death of Marian? Will Djaq and Will make it home? Are the two events related? First Fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

Robin of the Wood

Prologue

Such was the grief of Robin of Locksley that he could not formulate the plans of the past that once were his specialty. When he was told of the vast fortune that was to enter Nottingham through Sherwood Forest, he merely grunted and let it pass. When Much sprained his ankle while trying to catch squirrels for supper, he gave the smaller man a worried glance and then went about his activities. But when Little John told him that they had not given to the penurious folk of Nottingham for several days, and Robin merely sighed, Little John decided enough was enough.

"Robin, the poor are relying on us," said little John, trying to spur his leader into doing something.

"Yeah, Robin. Marian wouldn't have wanted this," intoned Allan.

Instantly, Robin was on him with a sword at his throat. "How dare you say what she would have wanted. She's dead!" He roared, irate.

"Well, I've got something that might cheer you up," interrupted Much, worried about his master. "Will and Djaq are coming back. They sent a messenger from the Holy Land with the news. Apparently, Will misses wood and Djaq finds the rigmarole of Arabic customs hard to adhere to."

"There's no wood in the Holy Land. No shade. Only sand. That and murderous black knights," said Allan.

"No, the Sheriff sailed into port yesterday," said Much. "He's coming back to Nottingham, and he's even travelling through Sherwood Forest! The nerve! He probably thinks he can because Robin won't dare attack..." Much trailed off, seeing the look on Robin's Face. "No."

"Oh, yes," said Robin, a hint of the boyish charm back on his face.

"I'm not being funny, he'll have hundreds of guards" said Allan.

"We do NOT attack the sheriff!" roared little John.

"We don't attack him, just... give him a warning." objected Robin.

"This better be a mighty good plan" said Allan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

The next day, the outlaws awoke to the sound of horse's hooves and men's voices. The voices were singing a rambunctious lewd song at the top of their lungs.

"That's our wake-up call, lads" said a jovial Robin.

Allan moaned, but eventually decided to wake then, if only so he would not have to cook breakfast for himself later. "What's the plan, Robin?" he asked.

...

The four outlaws lay in wait in the surrounding trees of a clearing. The voices were getting more distinct as the seconds trickled away. Suddenly, a large group of men appeared with a carriage with bars set in the windows. A pale face could be seen through them. A man clad all in black rode in the penultimate position, with another following who was wearing leather. Robin's face hardened, his arrow knocked on the string.

"Now!" he cried.

Suddenly, a volley of arrows flew from the trees and embedded themselves in the ground around the men.

"Yield!" cried Robin Hood"

"Hood! I knew it was you. Still upset over your little leper friend, your little Marian?" jeered the sheriff.

"I can't kill you, but I can make you suffer. For her suffering!" shouted Robin.

"La-di-da-di-da. Look around, Hood, There are 136 soldiers here. How many are you?"

"Four," he answered defiantly. "Should be about even then!"

The gang let loose another volley of arrows and Robin vanished, the sheriff intent on seeing the source of the deadly hail. Suddenly, he ordered a retreat.

"We can get you later Hood." He jeered. "Maybe when you come to get what is yours, what we have here in this little cage," he said.

Robin was caught off guard. "What do you have Sheriff?" he asked.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," he answered.

Robin returned to his gang. Whatever he has can't be important. It was a big cage, what could he have of ours that fits into a large cage?" he asked them.

"We need to find out" interjected Much.

"I know," Robin capitulated.

"No need," said Allan. "I know. We need to get them back, now."

"Them?" asked Robin.

"Will and Djaq," answered Allan.

"We GO to Nottingham," said Little John.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

They returned to camp to devise a plan.

"Simple, yet trustworthy," was Little John's input.

"Not being funny, but I don't want to be hanged again," said Allan.

Under the cover of darkness, four cloaked figures could be seen creeping from the fringes of Sherwood Forest. Soon after, a fire broke out near the gates and the guards manning the gates went to investigate. The cloaked figures slipped through unseen. All was silent in Nottingham town until there was a tremendous crash.

"Much!" hissed Robin.

"Sorry," he said apologetically.

After Allan lured the castle guards' away for "ale with a bit of a kick", Robin Hood was finally in the castle. Walking silently down the stairs, he paused at the dungeon door and waited for Allan to catch up. He finally arrived with the excuse that "one of the guards was angry there was no ale."

John kicked the door in with a tremendous thud that seemed loud enough to wake the entire castle. "That was what Will was for," he grunted.

The dungeon stank with smoke and human excrement. In the very last cell, Will and Djaq huddled together.

"This is a rescue!" Said Much, finally reaching them. Will and Djaq stared at them with open mouths.

"You are hallucinations," croaked Djaq finally. "You could not possibly know we are here."

"We are here to rescue you," said Robin, handing Will the lock pick through the bars of the cage.

"It's really you," he said. "I thought we were going to die here."

Suddenly, Robin heard a loud clattering at the top of the stairs.

"Guards, doing the midnight rounds," said Will. "Go, quickly."

"Who's there?" said a rough voice.

"Probably just talking to themselves, the scum," said another. "Better check, though, just to be sure."

Robin, Much and Allan quietly drew their swords.

"Have you unlocked the chains, Will?" he whispered.

A guard turned the corner. He saw the four outlaws on one side of the cage, helping two prisoners.

"Outlaws in the dungeon!" he shouted to the other, who ran off to inform the sheriff.

"Remember me, Robin?" he asked.

"Karim!" Robin gasped, recognising the Saracen who tried to assassinate the king. He took a swing at the larger man, only to have him block the attack with his curved sword.

There was a clash as the two men engaged in fierce combat. Robin's gang were afraid to intervene for fear of hurting their master. Suddenly, Karim had his sword at Robin's throat. "Say your prayers," he snarled. Almost as suddenly, he was on the ground, unconscious with Little John peering over him.

"You, I do not like," he said.

The outlaws filed out of the dungeon in 'cluster ball' formation, with Will and Djaq, the weakest in the middle. They got safely out of the castle and were almost into Sherwood forest before the bell for escaped prisoners began to ring.

"Good work, lads," smiled Robin.


End file.
